Puppy Whines During My Evening Wind-Down (1 Viewer)

[Chii]

I have a seven month old puppy. I love him to pieces and he's a great dog. It's just that in the evening before I go to sleep I like to watch tv but he won't stop whining. Now he's fine when I turn everything off and go to sleep, its just when I'm trying to wind down for the night. It doesn't matter if I'm reading, watching tv or whatever he just won't stop whining. I have tried crateing him during that time, I've tried running him down at the park or on the trails before hand and its not working;and I'm getting frustrated since I can't sleep well without my quiet time. Any suggestions?

 

[Stan]

I'm hardly an expert with this, but it sounds like he's just missing you and needs more attention.
I never crate my dog when I'm home, she knows I'm still there and will drive me crazy. I'm probably a bit to much of a pushover, but she sleeps with me, sits with me when watching TV or reading, basically always with me or nearby whenever I'm home. I also have a cat, but am lucky to see her once a day, sometimes even less often.
Your dog is pretty young still, and while I'm no Cesar Milan, he should get some training before he gets to much older.
I didn't do much training with my dog, a black lab, because she was so incredibly intelligent, she caught onto things immediately. Got her at two months old and never even had to housebreak her, not a single mess in the house, ever. After two or three times of my leaving the house, she recognized the signs of my keys jingling, knew she would get a treat and trained herself to open her crate and wait inside for me.
I got lucky, but she's definitely got me trained. I'd recommend going the other way, make sure you're the boss. I think your dog is young and just experimenting. Whatever you do, don't give in and give him a treat or some other reward, it will just reinforce the behavior. He'll hopefully tire of the whining, realizing it's not getting him anything and give it up eventually.

 

[Stan]

Another piece of advice as your puppy grows. Move your couches, beds, etc. and clean up once in a while.
I did a major house cleaning the past few days and found probably 25 bones, toys, etc. under the furniture. Have no idea how she put them there, but I was amazed at what I found. I had searched the house and yard for some of the toys I bought for her, but never pulled the couches away from the walls. Quite a treasure trove I discovered.

 

[Chii]

I spend I good 4 or 5 hours a day just playing with him, he's my only companion at this point and I've never had any problems with messes or things like that. He's a great pup he listens really well and understands leave it and several other commands and during the day he even listens when I tell him to be quiet when I'm on the phone or something. The Only problem I'm finding is that he whines in the evenings and I can't figure out why.

 

[Chii]

I spend I good 4 or 5 hours a day just playing with him, he's my only companion at this point and I've never had any problems with messes or things like that. He's a great pup he listens really well and understands leave it and several other commands and during the day he even listens when I tell him to be quiet when I'm on the phone or something. The Only problem I'm finding is that he whines in the evenings and I can't figure out why.

 

[schan1269]

Our youngest dog is now 2. She whined from age 5 months to just short of a year. She is a yorkie/eskimo mix. She whined cause she was in a growth spurt and was "incapable" of being still. During growth spurts they can't get comfortable.

 

[Stan]

My black lab just turned three. I got her because people told me they are such gentle, loving animals.
I was told she'd grow out of her active "puppy" stage by age two, then somebody told me it would be three. Last I heard is she'll be six or seven before she settles down. It's not like she's tearing the house or yard apart, but she has a lot of energy and is very active.
I let her run loose sometimes, totally illegal, but I'm always with her. Her "range" is my front yard, one neighbor behind me and three across the street. If she can't see me, she immediately comes running back to my yard. Guess I'm her security blanket.
The guy behind me has a pit bull and he's one of the nicest dogs I've ever come across. Friendly, cuddly, wants to play, etc. Not at all like the bad reputation they get in the news. Odd thing is my dog and the pit bull completely ignore each other. It's like strangers passing on a street. My dog runs to his yard and checks everything out while the pit bull comes into my yard and does the same. I thought they'd become buddies and play together, but they barely notice one another.
I agree with Sam, it is probably just a growing stage he's going through. Might be a pain for a while, but something you'll just need to deal with. It will end eventually.
Puppies get their baby teeth by about two months, then for the next five to six months start getting their permanent teeth. Sounds like he's right on schedule. He could possibly just be teething, which I know for a fact can be extremely painful. I had little tiny teeth come in behind my wisdom teeth in my mid 20s and they hurt, a lot.
Maybe during your wind-down time he feels ignored and notices the pain more. When you're together, playing, sleeping, etc. he feels more comfortable.

 

[Chii]

Thank you, ill see if I can ease his pain some since that sounds about right, freeze a toy or two and work on some doggie massages he just hit 7 months old and is growing fast. Again thank you!

 

[Mike Frezon]

/t/324421/puppy-whines-during-my-evening-wind-down#post_3988283
...he just hit 7 months old and is growing fast. Again thank you!

I think you've hit on it. It's the same reason teenagers sleep so much--the growth spurts are tremendous.

Another thing. Ask your vet. Make sure the dog doesn't have any pain...outside of the normal "growing pains." I bet your vet has heard this complaint from any number of owners and it's nothing--except an inconvenience and an annoyance. Odds are, he'll outgrow it before you know it.

It certainly sounds like you give your dog plenty of exercise, attention and love. Everything will be fine.